Champion of Love
by Scarlett Amberlyn
Summary: Scorpius Malfoy is in his sixth year at Hogwarts and, once again, they are hosting the Triwizard Tournament. Zahra Steele, a Ravenclaw, is their champion, but can she survive the dangerous tasks ahead, and can Scorpius win her heart before someone else does?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey C:**

**I watch the GOF movie the other day, and because I utterly adore Malfoy (and Tom Felton :) I wanted him to have a love interest, but obviously, I couldn't really do that, so I did a Next Generation instead C:**

**I'm not a complete Potterhead or anything, but I re-read TDH specially and went on the Wiki for anything I was unsure of, but if there are mistakes, please be kind.. :,)**

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The high pitched ringing of a glass goblet and a silver teaspoon meeting rang out in the Great Hall of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Its headmistress, Minerva McGonagall, rose from her seat and addressed the occupants of the hall.

"Welcome, students, to Hogwarts. This year, as some of you will be aware, it is, once again, Hogwarts' turn to host the much anticipated Triwizard Tournament. I will now take great pleasure in introducing the Beauxbatons Academy of Magic!"

From the far side of the room, seated on the Slytherin Table, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy watched as the dainty, sky blue clad French ladies of Beauxbatons skipped into the Hall. They sighed daintily and conjured tiny bluebirds and dragonflies and sighed again and skipped some more. He rolled his eyes as his friend, Eric, clapped enthusiastically while muttering; "Cor blimey, she's got a nice arse…"

Scorpius rolled his eyes again and turned his attention to McGonagall as she introduced 'with equal pleasure' the Durmstrang Institute. He heard Eric swear under his breath as the doors flew open and columns of flame burst through. The Durmstrang students, clad in furs and holding huge staffs, marched in chanting something that sounded vaguely Slavic. Fire breathers made huge fiery serpents that coiled round the Hufflepuff Table, making all the girls scream.

Scorpius' attention, though, was now trained on one Ravenclaw girl, who was clapping loudly, encouraging Durmstrang students as they made their way to the front of the Hall. She had dark hair tied up carelessly into a bun, silvery pale skin – perhaps even paler than his own – and bright green eyes. Her name was Zahra Steele. She was one of his Ravenclaw classmates and, from seeing her in his first year at Hogwarts; he had fallen deeply and hopelessly in love with her. Scorpius was now in his sixth year, and he wasn't at all sure she knew of his existence.

Tearing his gaze from Zahra, he composed himself and looked over to the raised platform upon which Julius Goldman, director of the Tournament, was explaining the rules.

"Due to the _extreme danger_ of the Triwizard Tournament, only those in their sixth year or above can enter." There was a mixture of groans and cheers throughout. Scorpius noticed Zahra turn to look at her friend (also a Ravenclaw classmate of his), Rosalyn and give her an excited grin.

"But!" continued Goldman, raising a hand for silence, "I warn you, my Tournament is not for the faint hearted. Each and every task will test you, be it in brain or brawn. So, if any of you think yourselves brave enough to enter, you must only write your name on a slip of parchment and place into," he stopped and eyeballed the students closest to him for dramatic effect, "the Goblet of Fire!" with a garish sweep of his deep green velvet robes, the Goblet was revealed. There were gasps and appreciative whistles around the room.

"Oooh, indeed," agreed Goldman. He started saying something else, but Scorpius wasn't listening, once again his gaze was drawn to Zahra. As Professor McGonagall dismissed them, Zahra caught his eye and smiled politely as she rose from her bench. Feeling his face burn, he returned the smile, but quickly looked away. Scorpius watched as she left the Great Hall with Rosalyn, giggling.

_Oh well, _he thought, _at least she knows I exist._

**Hope you liked n_n **


	2. Chapter 2

**Next chapter! :D**

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Scorpius was awoken the next day by Eric poking his face and telling him to 'get up because then we can see all the nice girls from Beauxbatons who're entering before they all go'. Scorpius groaned and sat up, rubbing his face.

"Eric, are you serious? It's not even eight o'clock yet," Scorpius could never really work out why Eric was so obsessed with getting girls (seeing as he'd probably tried it on at least once with every girl in Slytherin), but he decided to put it down to being blessed with both charm and good looks.

Eric was tall and athletic – a Quidditch player – with curly golden brown hair, freckles and pale blue eyes. Whenever he gave the girls he liked the "smoulder" from across the room, or a wink, they positively _melted_. Scorpius had tried it once with Iris Parkinson. According to Eric he "looked like he was having a seizure".

"Come_ on_!" pouted Eric, pulling away the covers.

"Fine! Fine!" Cried Scorpius, "I'm up, I'm up!" he swung his legs out of bed and reached for his uniform. The second he had finished straightening his tie, Eric grabbed him by the arm and half dragged him down the stairs to the common room.

"Wait! Jesus Christ, Eric!" Scorpius managed to pull his arm free in order to pick up the Astronomy textbook lying on a table. Eric sighed and rolled his eyes. "What?" demanded Scorpius, "It's the only thing I'm good at and Dad says I have to keep my grades up…" Eric just scowled and grabbed his arm again, leading out of the common room and to the Great Hall.

Upon arrival to the Great Hall, Eric pulled him to some seating near a group of Beauxbatons girls talking amongst themselves in French. Eric, unable to stop himself, winked at one of them. Scorpius swore he heard her go 'Ooh-la-la'. Once seated, Scorpius opened up his Astronomy book, blushing slightly as he heard the one of the girls say 'garҫon' and 'beau', and hoping they weren't talking about him.

Suddenly, they all hushed to quiet whispers and then clapped really loudly and cheered. Scorpius turned to see a tall, tanned girl with honey blonde hair flowing out from under her teardrop hat standing up and making her way to the Goblet. She paused at the magical barrier around the Goblet and turned to give her friends a nervous grin.

At that very moment, Scorpius' heart leapt as Zahra entered the Great Hall with Rosalyn, walking quickly and chattering at 100 miles an hour.

"D'you think I should do it? Should I?"

"Yeah!" Rosalyn urged, "Go! _Go_!" she pushed Zahra gently on the back and Zahra jogged gently forward, darted through the barrier and dropped her name in the Goblet. The blue fire inside it flared as she went through the barrier again and gave Rosalyn a huge, excited grin.

"I did it! I did it!" she said, jumping up and down slightly.

"I know! I know!" Rosalyn said, mimicking her.

"_You_ are entering?" said the French girl, glaring at Zahra.

"Yeah." She said cool-y, "Problem?" The girl sneered.

"But you are so… puny." She said, as if it were obvious. Scorpius' grip tightened on the Astrology book. Zahra was thin and tall, yes, but not _puny_. A look of realisation dawned over Zahra's face.

"Oh," she said patronizingly, "Oh, I'm _sorry_, did I steal your limelight? Oh, how terribly rude of me. Well, you needn't worry anymore," she said coldly, "because I was just leaving." Zahra turned and strode from the Great Hall, Rosalyn not far behind.

"You will not last five minutes!" said the girl loudly as Zahra left the room.

Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she stalked through the barrier, threw her name in and prowled back to her friends. Eric sucked through his teeth.

"What?" demanded Scorpius, "What?"

"That was a mistake," said Eric, "She shouldn't have done that."

"Done what?" Eric looked at him.

"Dude," he said, "That was Celine Dupont. _No-one_ gets on the wrong side of Celine Dupont."

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**OOOH ANGST. :L Next chapter hopefully coming up soon! n_n Please review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Whooo! next chapter! I tried to pack in as much suspense as possible here: hope it worked! n_n**

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A week or so later, Scorpius once again found himself being dragged to the Great Hall in Eric's iron grip.

"We need to be there early so we can get seats closer to the front!" he was saying. Scorpius only nodded. Ever since Zahra had crossed paths with Celine Dupont, he had found himself doing nothing but worry. He knew it was stupid, because the odds of both Celine and Zahra being picked to compete were very remote, but he couldn't help it. Eric had noticed his sullen mood and stopped walking. He sighed.

"Seriously, Scorpius, lighten up. Celine Dupont may be a highly attractive, rich model for _Magicien_ and a prize bitch, but she's not dangerous or anything. Neither's the Tournament, Goldman is just exaggerating, dramatic effect that kinda thing." He offered Scorpius a smile, "So even if she does get picked, Zahra'll be fine. Yeah?"

"Yeah, I guess." Scorpius murmured, returning a half-smile and followed Eric to the Great Hall.

As soon as McGonagall had finished the general notices and permitted them to eat, Eric tucked in like he hadn't seen anything edible for a week. Scorpius laughed as he filled his glass with pumpkin juice.

"What?" Eric demanded, a chicken leg halfway to his mouth, "I'm a growing lad!"

Scorpius was still chuckling as he raised his glass to his lips. "Okay, okay…" he said between sips, trying not to stare at Zahra (which was proving difficult). She was chatting away excitedly to Rosalyn, her trademark messy bun bobbing slightly as she nodded her head. Scorpius didn't notice Julius Goldman had got up until he spoke.

"And now!" he cried dramatically, "It is the moment you have _all_ been waiting for. While many brave souls have ventured up to volunteer themselves for the Tournament, only three shall become _CHAMPIONS!_" The entire hall broke into enthusiastic applause. Goldman raised his hand for silence. "Who will those brave souls be?" Gently, he lowered his hand, causing the torches on the wall to dim. "We shall let the Goblet decide! Now, ladies first, I think. From Beauxbatons Academy of Magic…" he paused as the blue flames grew, illuminating every face in the hall. With a great roar the flames flared up and spat out a piece of baby blue parchment. Goldman caught it between forefinger and thumb and paused to read the name.

You could cut the atmosphere with a knife.

"CELINE DUPONT!"

The girls from Beauxbatons erupted into cheers as Celine got up, smiling. The smile became smug as she walked past Zahra and shook hands warmly with Goldman, before being led out of the hall by the headmistress of Beauxbatons. Goldman had to raise his hand once more for silence.

"A worthy champion for Beauxbatons, I see." He said. Scorpius caught Zahra throwing a 'yeah right' glance at Rosalyn, who bit her lip to stop herself grinning too widely.

"And now," continued Goldman, "from the Durmstrang Institute…" Once again the flames erupted, this time throwing out a piece of coarse beige parchment. The entire hall held its breath as Goldman paused once again.

"GAVRIL VOLKOV!"

Gavril stood up as all his friends and classmates clapped him on the back and cheered. He was short and stocky, his square-jawed face framed with large sideburns and stubble. His thick, unkempt black hair fell over one eye, but the other brown one was just visible. He strode up to Goldman, shook him by the hand and was taken out if the room by his headmaster.

"Again, a worthy champion for Durmstrang." Goldman said in a strained voice, massaging his hand. "Now, lastly – but by no means least – who will be Hogwarts' champion?"

Rosalyn reached over and gave Zahra's hand a squeeze, gaining a nervous look from Zahra. For the last time, the blue flames erupted out of the Goblet and piece of off-white parchment fell into Julius Goldman's hand. Scorpius felt like time was slowing down.

_Hundreds of people from Hogwarts have entered it won't be-_

"ZAHRA STEELE!"

Rosalyn and Zahra both erupted in a short burst of excited screams. Zahra rose from the table, grinning nervously as she jogged up the platform to shake Goldman's hand. The last he saw of Zahra was Professor McGonagall leading her out of the Hall.

Scorpius felt his heart sink as he stared into his glass of pumpkin juice. The excited chatter all around him just sounded like incomprehensible buzzing.

_Guess the odds weren't in my favour. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Shout out to xX Ashlyn Malfoy Xx for some brilliant feedback!**

**Sorry this took a while to upload, I hope you enjoy it!**

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The following week was a nightmare. Despite Eric assuring him that absolutely nothing bad was going to happen Scorpius found he did nothing but worry. Every worst-case-scenario was popping up in his head and doing its best to force its way to the front of his mind. He decided that most of the Slytherin house hated him due the amount of points that been deducted by Professor Longbottom because of him.

"Please, Mister Malfoy, can you at least _look_ like you're paying attention to my lessons?"

"I'm sorry, Professor Longbottom."

"I should think so. Ten points from Slytherin."

Half of the class groaned. Scorpius blushed and bent his head over his parchment so nobody would see.

Eventually, the herbology lesson came to a close and Scorpius began to pack his things away. He had just left the greenhouse when a hesitant voice stopped him.

"Umm… Scorpius? It is Scorpius, isn't it?" It was Zahra. Scorpius' face began to burn.

"Yeah, that's me… it's Zahra, right?"

"Yeah… uh… I was wondering if you could help me, I'm stumped..." She delved into her bag and brought out an immaculate piece of white parchment. "Mr Goldman sent this to all the champions a few days ago…" she handed it to him and motioned for him to read it.

'_My dear Champions!' _ it exclaimed in gold, cursive writing.

'_Survive you first labour and become a star!_

_Julius Goldman'_

"He may be too wrapped up in himself for his own good," Zahra said when he had given back the curious letter, "but he wouldn't send us a letter if it didn't have a point – it must be a clue. I decided it had to be something to do with a constellation, right?" she looked at him earnestly, "You're the best astrologer in the class so… so… I figured I'd come to you. Will you help me?"

Scorpius felt his face turn even redder – he wouldn't have been at all surprised if smoke was shooting out from his ears.

"I… uh… well…I-I…uh… yeah." He managed to get out. Zahra smiled.

"Great!" she said with relief, "We could go over it at lunch?"

"E-erm… yeah, o-okay."

"Thanks," she said earnestly, "Thanks a lot!"

There was a short pause.

"Um…w-well, I… uh… have to get back to Eric…" said Scorpius, "S-see you at lunch, I guess…"

"Oh!" cried Zahra, "Oh, yes, of course!" she laughed briefly, "I'll see you at lunch, then."

* * *

"Really? _No!_" Eric pushed Scorpius' arm, "Get in there, dude!"

Scorpius sighed and opened the first of a stack of astrology books. There was a free period before lunch and most of Slytherin was packed into the common room.

"Would you shut up?" Scorpius whined, "I'm trying to concentrate."

"Are you hell!" scoffed Eric, "When it comes to Zahra, all concentration goes out the window." Scorpius began to protest, but Eric interrupted him. "You've done nothing but worry about her all week!"

Scorpius turned back to his book sulkily and didn't say anything.

"Oh, _come on_, Scorp, it's obvious you've got the hots for her," said Eric, "I-"

Scorpius slammed his book closed.

"So what if I have?" he demanded, "It's nothing to do with you!" he got to his feet, packing the books into his bag, "It's a lost cause, Eric. Like she'd ever go for me. Have you met me? I'm pathetic; I just let everybody walk all over me-"

"So why're you helping her, then?"

"Because she asked me to! It's not like I could've just said: 'Sorry, I can't, I really fancy you, but you'd probably never go for a guy like me, so I'm not going to help you'."

The colour was rising in Eric's face.

"Fine! Fine. Because I know next to nothing when it comes to girls."

"No, Eric, you don't. You just take the girls you like the look of and if they turn out to be boring, or clingy, or stupid, fine, you can just drop them and find something else. That's not knowing girls, Eric, that's using them. I'm-I'm going now." Scorpius said, feeling his outburst was faltering; he hefted the bag onto his shoulder and walked to the door.

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He found Zahra in the Great Hall, chewing absent mindedly on a sandwich. Strangely, Rosalyn was absent.

"Um… hey," Scorpius said, putting his bag on the table and unloading the books, "Um… it's… j-just us?"

"Oh, hey," she smiled, "Uh, yeah, um, Rosalyn's got some potions work so… just us, I guess."

"You had any breakthroughs?" Scorpius asked, sitting down and grabbing a ham sandwich.

"No…Ugh… why is this so difficult?" she demanded, "It's just a stupid cryptic clue…"

"Hey, w-we'll suss it out," Scorpius offered a reassuring smile, "You're a Ravenclaw, you're clever, we'll get it in no time. I'll read it out again…" he took the parchment from Zahra and began to read:

"My dearest Champions. Survive your first labour and-"

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait stop – stop there!" she slapped a palm to her head, "First labour!"

"What about it?"

"Scorp, I could hug you right now – you don't mind if I call you Scorp, do you? It's just that Scorpius is a bit of a mouthful," she was delving into the pile of books he had brought, opening them, reading the contents page and then discarding them.

"All this time," she said, "I've been putting the emphasis on "first", but now, Scorp, now you've made me see. You put the emphasis on "labour". He used "labour"."

"…But he called them, tasks… challenges… when he was explaining the rules…"

"Exactly!" she had found the book she was looking for amongst her pile, "The first _labour _of Hercules was the Nemean Lion."

"There's a constellation called Leo."

"Yes!"

"So… you're going to fight a lion?"

"I think so… it says in this book that it couldn't be hurt by arrows… so… maybe it will be immune  
to piercing hexes… " she looked up from the book, a new light in her eyes. She reached across the table and shook Scorpius' hand vigorously.

"We did it, Scorp, thanks to you," she got up from the table and began to pack her things away. "If you'll excuse me, I need to go and prepare."

"Do you need any help?"

"You've given me more than enough help, Scorp, see you in the arena!"

As Scorpius watched her leave the hall, a smile played around his lips. He'd helped her. He'd shown her that he was useful.

A little part of him wondered if it wasn't such a lost cause after all.

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**A little bit of a 'fill-in' there - are you ready for some action? **


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry about the lateness of these next two chapters, I have been away and there wasn't any signal -^-' **

**Enjoy!**

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The morning of the first task came bright but chilly, a thin layer of mist covering the top of the astrology tower. Scorpius pulled his cloak around him and trudged up the winding path to the arena where the task was being held. Eric was not with him. He was still sulking about their argument two days earlier. Scorpius was worried he had been a little too harsh.

The arena itself was large and hexagonal surrounded by stands for spectators. He could see a couple of kids had set up a betting booth in one corner. Apparently, Gavril was the favourite to win, which Scorpius didn't find at all surprising. Taking a seat on the edge of the front row, he waited as the rest of the students filed into their places. Scorpius took more time to examine the arena.

It was huge – Scorpius guessed it could house two Quidditch matches – and sandy with large boulders placed randomly around. Opposite his stand, on the far side of the arena, were double doors built into the stands. Scorpius assumed this is where the champions would enter the arena. Suddenly, these doors opened and Julius Goldman stepped out, dressed in deep royal blue velvet robes with ruffled sleeves and collar.

"Welcome!" he said, his voice magically amplified. "This is the first instalment of three very dangerous tasks! To each champion, I sent a clue. However, this was only a tiny preview of what lies ahead. Three mythical creatures have been picked to challenge our champions! The line-up is follows," he took an immaculate piece of parchment from his pocket, "Celine Dupont: Cerberus! Gavril Volkov: the Lernean Hydra! And Zahra Steele: the Nemean Lion!"

So, Zahra had been right, she _was_ going to fight the Lion. This put Scorpius at some ease – but not much. A cannon fired, bringing Scorpius out of his uneasy thoughts and Celine Dupont walked into the arena. Even from the opposite side of the stadium, Scorpius could see the fear in her face. Goldman had gone, replaced by a huge three headed dog.

Celine stopped dead, eyes wide. The Cerberus took a tentative step forward, hackles raised. Its lips were drawn back in a snarl and drool was pooling onto the sand.

The fight itself was long and brutal. Despite how much he loathed her, Scorpius had to admire her tenacity. Although Dupont had been thrown viscously to the floor and sometimes rock many times, she kept firing spells and hexes. At one point, she levitated rocks and threw them at the creature. Ten minutes later, the Cerberus was down and Dupont looked on the point of collapse. Her baby blue tracksuit was bloodied and torn.

Gavril Volkov was next. His fight was longer, but a lot less violent. The Hydra preferred to keep its distance, firing poisonous missiles at Volkov. He eventually beat the Hydra by using a flame-throwing hex to scorch all the remaining heads off. Volkov collapsed the same time his opponent did, badly burned by poison. Two wizards rushed onto the scene carrying a stretcher, Mademoiselle Pomfrey was also there, doing some emergency healing spells.

Scorpius' heart was hammering against his ribs as Goldman introduced Zahra. The cannon fired and the Nemean Lion appeared.

There was a collective gasp around the stadium. The Lion was _huge_. The size of a large dragon, at least, with cruel ruby eyes and fur the colour of rust; its mane like fire around its head. Snarling, it paced around Zahra. She swallowed and raised her wand, Scorpius could see her lips moving – was she taunting it? The Lion walked a full circuit of the arena, Zahra was still talking, wand raised defensively.

And then it leapt.

Scorpius' heart nearly tore from his chest, his blood rushed in his ears. He couldn't watch. But seconds before Zahra was sliced to ribbons by razor sharp claws, the Lion bounced back, landing on its back on the floor. The air rippled, making the magical sphere around Zahra visible. From his seat, Scorpius could see her smile grimly.

The Lion got to its feet, glaring at Zahra. This time, it prowled up to the edge of the sphere before giving an almighty roar that echoed round the stands and proceeding to slash at its surface. Ripples erupted around Zahra, hiding her from view. So far, it was holding, but the Lion wasn't giving up. With another roar, it delivered an almighty two-pawed blow.

The sphere shattered. Iridescent pieces flew everywhere, disappearing when they hit the floor. Zahra was thrown backward, she hit a rock and crumpled, doll-like, to floor. The beast growled with satisfaction and Scorpius thought it looked like it was smiling smugly. Zahra was now rising steadily to her feet, her wand still held in a white-knuckle grip. Scorpius noticed blood seeping down from her hairline. She wiped it away with the back of her hand.

The Lion began circling again, going round the arena twice before it stopped again. Zahra had anticipated the next pounce. She ran under the creature and fired a spell right into its underbelly, then hid behind a rock just as the creature landed, giving a roar of pain. Not giving the beast any time to compose itself, she ran out from behind the rock, firing more spells before hiding behind the next one.

Zahra did this for a few minutes, but Scorpius noticed that each 'rest' was longer than the last. The Lion was roaring in frustration and pain. It turned and lashed out at a rock, sending it tumbling sideways.

And revealing Zahra.

She and the Lion stared at each other for a second. Then Zahra stood up. And she roared at the Lion. It looked outraged; as if it was surprised anyone would even dare to challenge it like that. The Lion opened its mouth wide, exposing fangs as longs as Scorpius' arm, and roared. This was when Zahra struck. Scorpius could see her lips form the words: "Wingardium Leviosa!"

A rock flew straight into the Lion's throat, cutting the roar off immediately. Arms shaking with exertion, Zahra kept the rock in place with another spell as the Lion writhed and squirmed. Eventually, the Lion fell to floor and was still. Zahra dropped her wand and fell to her knees, her chest rising and falling heavily.

The stadium erupted into cheers, Zahra looked up, grinning weakly and waving. She caught Scorpius' eye and smiled again.

Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted.


	6. Chapter 6

Scorpius didn't see Zahra in class for the next four days and he grew substantially more worried about her. He did, however, see Eric.

"Um, hey Scorp." Eric dropped his bag on the common room floor and sat down in the chair next to Scorpius.

"Hey, Eric."

"Look… I'm sorry I was such an arse to you earlier… I-"

"Don't be… I was a jerk, Eric; I said some pretty bad stuff."

Eric shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"…Are you still mad at me?"

Scorpius smiled, "No…"

"…You're worried about Zahra, aren't you?"

"Yeah."

"I'm sure she'll be back in class soon, Scorp."

"Yeah…"

Eric, in fact, was more accurate than Scorpius had originally thought. The first class he had the next morning was Astrology but, upon arrival, he found the classroom had been completely stripped of furniture save for a small table with a gramophone on it. Most of the students had already arrived and were crowded in one corner of the room, Scorpius recognized Rosalyn's voice.

"Please! Just – just give her some space!"

"Yes," said a voice, "Please do give our Girl of Steel – pardon the pun – some space. Mademoiselle Pomfrey tells me she has had quite an ordeal."

Julius Goldman had swept into the room, followed by a few latecomers who hurried in after him. Goldman was dressed in robes of a particularly sickly shade of violet. It didn't suit him.

"Now, you may be wondering why I'm here. It is, as you may or may not be aware, in honour of the games, the Yule Ball is held. An event in which the students of Beauxbatons, Durmstrang and Hogwarts come together to honour the friendship the founders of these schools treasured so dearly. In essence, my dear students, a dance. A dance at which you will need a partner."

The girls giggled, but the boys looked utterly horrified.

"Like… a girl, professor?" one Slytherin boy asked cautiously.

"Yes!" Goldman with enthusiasm, "And ladies, you will need to find a handsome male dance partner!" Goldman turned to the gramophone and proceeded to put a record in it. "Now," he said, "I wonder if the Girl of Steel feels up to demonstrating a waltz?"

A weary smile on her face, Zahra made her way over to Goldman. Scorpius could see the remnants of dark circles under her eyes, he could see there were large bruises on her arms as she had rolled her sleeves up and her skin looked grey.

"I think so, professor." She said, curtseying. Goldman bowed.

"Etiquette is always important," he explained, "Now, Zahra will put her hand on my shoulder and I will put my hand on her waist." He demonstrated. This gained a few sniggers from the class, someone even wolf whistled. Zahra rolled her eyes and shook her head. Goldman smiled patiently.

"And you clasp your free hand like so," he said once the noise had died down and demonstrated once more. "Now, would you turn on the gramophone, Mr Williams?" A quickly paced waltz began to play, crackling slightly due to the age of the record itself.

"The steps of a waltz are very simple to learn, all you have to remember is: one, two, three!"

He and Zahra then began to dance, Goldman calling out 'one, two, three' with each step. A grin slowly began to form on Zahra's face. She was beautiful when she smiled. Scorpius watched as she and Goldman waltzed the length of the room and then back again.

"Etiquette, Zahra." Goldman said with mock severity, "Remember ladies, your partner leads!"

With that, the waltz ended. Zahra curtseyed and Goldman bowed.

"Lovely, Zahra, quite lovely, now everyone find a partner, chop chop!"

"Oh my God. Having to dance with Parkinson…" Eric said, piling sandwiches onto his plate. "Seriously, _Iris Parkinson_? Kill me now."

"At least they gave us the rest of the day off." Scorpius pointed out, chewing his food thoughtfully. Zahra was across the hall, trying desperately to fend off a crowd off children so she could eat her lunch in peace.

"Are you gonna ask her then?"

"What?" Scorpius turned to look at Eric, confused.

"Zahra. Yule Ball. She's a champion, so you'll have to do it quickly, mate, all the other lads'll be all over her…"

"Yeah…" Scorpius looked back over across the hall, but Zahra was gone. Desperately, he scanned the rest of the room, starting to feel a sense of panic. Then he saw a head with black hair tied into a bun disappearing round a corner. Hurriedly, he stuffed the last bite of sandwich into his mouth and choking out a quick 'be right back' to Eric, went in pursuit.

It was hard keeping up with her and although he had called her name, she had ignored him. Scorpius actually thought he had somehow lost her a couple of times. Eventually, she stopped in a quiet part of the grounds overlooking the groundskeeper's hut.

"Um… Zahra?" he called, jogging up to her, "Um… hey… I… I-I…" he felt his face flush as she turned round, "H-hey, I-I just wanted to say… uh… good… er… good… fighting…"

"Oh… thanks…"

"L-look I was wondering if… if…" he stopped and took a deep breath, Zahra looked confused, but she smiled patiently, "Will you go to the dance with me?" he managed to choke out as quickly as he possibly could.

"I'm sorry? I didn't… I didn't catch that…" Scorpius faltered.

"Um… the… dance… would… you…"

"Oh! Oh, y-yes, o-of course," she laughed lightly, "I was worried you were going to ask for my autograph or something…"

"Oh… oh, no…It m-must be really awful… having a-all those people f-following you round all the time…"

"Yeah… thanks for not being a jerk like those guys… asking me to the ball just because I'm a champion…"

"Y-you turned… you turned other people down?" Scorpius asked incredulously.

"W-well, you helped me out, Scorp… I guess it's time to repay the favour." She told him, blushing slightly. A few moments of silence passed.

"…W-where did you learn to dance? You're really good…"

"Thanks… my dad… he taught me…Oh for Christ's sake…"

A group of Beauxbatons students were coming round the corner. At their head was Celine Dupont.

"Oh!" Dupont drawled, she looked… well, perfect. Scorpius couldn't see any bruises or anything. "I did not realise you were here." Her hazel eyes flashed mockingly, "We all thought your performance was… interesting. I hear we are tied for the cup so far." Dupont's gaze fell on Scorpius, "Who is your… friend?"

"No-one…" Scorpius said, flushing an even deeper red.

"His name is Scorpius. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some things to attend to. I'll see you later, Scorpius." Zahra pushed past Dupont with barely concealed contempt. Celine sneered and said something to her friends in French. They giggled nastily as they swept past Scorpius and he found himself all alone on the grounds.

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**Next chapter to be uploaded soon! How do we feel about a bit more dancing? **


	7. Chapter 7

**AH. OMFG. I'M SORRY. I've just started Year 10, which is daunting D: Also, this be the first romance I've written. I didn't want this chapter to be too cheesy or cliché, but still have fluff. It took me a while, as you can see... D: **

**Sorry. Enjoy!**

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The weeks passed by and the weather changed around Hogwarts. Snow layered over the rooftops and buttresses, the trees lost their leaves, leaving behind the skeletal remains; soon to burst with new life in only a few months. The fireplace in every common room was being used more frequently and many students were breaking out those awful handmade jumpers from their aunties and mums that are only acceptable to wear at Christmas (apart from a boy called Watson from Hufflepuff – he was renowned for wearing them all year round). Even the ghosts and portraits began to sink into the Christmas spirit. Peeves could often be seen stringing mistletoe all over the place and the paintings hung tinsel around their frames. Eric often took Scorpius on trips into Hogsmeade for butterbeer. And he was going to the Yule Ball with Zahra Steele. Scorpius felt he had never been happier.

"How do I look?" Scorpius made a small half turn in the mirror. His father had sent him a brand new set of dress robes – black crisp shirt, straight tie, trousers and robe; black leather shoes polished to a shine and an emerald green silk waistcoat to 'represent his house'. Eric's face appeared over his shoulder, reflected in the mirror.

"Great," he said, grinning, "She'll be all over you."

"I've told you, Eric, we're just going as friends."

"Oh. Yeah, right." Eric said, his voice loaded with sarcasm. Scorpius punched his arm lightly.

"Wait," he told Eric and straightened his red bow tie, "There."

"Thanks… anything else?" Eric did a full turn; he was dressed in all black, save for his tie.

"No, you look fine… who're you going with anyway? You never told me."

"This girl from Beauxbatons, she's called Frederique."

"Oh, right… um… shall we go?"

They walked to the Great Hall, laughing and chatting, but the butterflies in Scorpius' stomach were going crazy. Eric saw Frederique on the way and they offered to escort her to the dance. She was a pretty girl, about the same age as they were, with dark brown hair curled into tight ringlets and dressed in a sky blue ball gown.

Upon arrival, Scorpius couldn't see Zahra anywhere, but both Frederique and Eric offered to wait with him. A few minutes passed and Scorpius was growing worried.

"Oh… trés trés belle…" Frederique breathed. Scorpius turned to see where she was looking.

It was Zahra. Scorpius found himself utterly lost for words.

She was dressed in a strapless deep indigo dress that gave her curves in all the right places. The only jewellery she was wearing was a simple golden choker, making her neck look long and elegant. Her lips were painted the same indigo of her dress; her eyelashes were beautifully long and thick and down past her shoulders tumbled her hair in ebony waves. Her eyes sparkled. Her skin glowed.

She was nothing short of _beautiful_.

"Scorp?" her eyebrows sloped upwards, "Is there something wrong?" she looked down over herself, doubtful.

"No!" he hurried up the steps, realising he hadn't said a word and took her arm, "You look lovely."

"Really?"

"Beautiful." He told her, smiling. She smiled back, blushing, and he escorted her down the rest of the steps. At the bottom they were met by Professor McGonagall.

"You'll need to go to the dance floor, my dear, the first dance will be starting soon-" the Professor noticed something behind them, "Oh, Peeves!" she bustled off rather quickly. Eric laughed and went with Frederique to the drinks table.

"See you later!" he called over his shoulder.

"Would you accompany me, my dear lady?" Scorpius asked, holding out his arm.

"I would be delighted, my dear sir." She smiled and took his arm as he led her to the dance floor. Dupont and Volkov were already there with their partners; Celine with a tall chiselled Durmstrang student and Volkov a pretty auburn haired Beauxbatons girl.

Moments later, the hall grew quiet as the conductor of the small orchestra behind the dance floor hit the edge of his music stand with his baton; the musicians getting ready to play. Scorpius slipped his hand around Zahra's waist as she placed her hand on his shoulder. Scorpius was surprised he wasn't shaking.

The waltz started. The strings playing a lively tune and the base line pushed forward a predominant beat.

Zahra's face instantly began to light up. She smiled at him as they waltzed around the dance floor. Scorpius had no idea what Dupont and Volkov were doing; the entire world seemed to have shrunk until it was just him, Zahra and the music. His feet seemed to be working all by themselves.

Then the music seemed to soften, the flutes taking over the melody while the strings layered a higher melody over the top. He pulled Zahra up into a lift, as if she weighed no more than a feather before bringing her down to earth.

Here the music began to speed up, the strings taking back the tune now. The spectators began to clap the beat, encouraging the dancers on.

The gleam in Zahra's eyes became fiercer, she grinned at him and Scorpius could feel her leading him round the dance floor. He grinned back at her. Still the music did not slow. As it grew into a crescendo, the brass could be heard layering underneath. The music finished just as he pulled Zahra into a low dip. Zahra was still grinning up at him as they held the pose, thunderous applause roaring in Scorpius' ears.

"That was the most fun I've had in a while!" Zahra said as they went over to the drinks table. Another waltz had begun to play now, and Scorpius could see Eric dancing with Frederique. Zahra took a long, elegant drink before speaking again.

"I haven't danced like that since… since…forever!" she gave him a wide smile, eyes sparkling and a natural flush colouring her cheeks.

"Then how about another dance, Miss Steele?" he asked, smiling back and holding out a hand.

"Yes, Master Malfoy, I should like that very much."

Time didn't seem to pass at all; it was dance after dance after dance. Scorpius' world had, once again, become Zahra, himself, the music and sometimes the drinks table; he didn't once think of Eric or the tournament.

The next dance was a slow dance. Scorpius once again placed his hand on her waist as she placed hers on his shoulder and he thought that she pulled him a little closer.

_Don't be silly, you're only going as friends…_

The dance started and, as the steps were minimal, they began talking. About Teachers. Hobbies. Films. Music. Books. Everything, Scorpius felt, that any two normal people would talk about. She would laugh; he would laugh, once they ended up in a fit of giggles.

On through the night they went until they collapsed into two empty seats.

"Aah." Sighed Zahra, leaning her head back over the back of the chair, her hair tumbling down behind her head. "That was hilarious: did you see that dude nearly fall over?"

"Yeah!" Scorpius nodded enthusiastically, "And did you see Dupont?"

Zahra lifted her head up to look at him.

"Yes! Seriously, what is she wearing?" She let her head loll back again, "We should totally do this again, Scorp."

"Yeah," Scorpius agreed, "Yeah, we should…" he smiled to himself. Zahra sat up a little straighter and smoothed down her dress.

"I just want to dance all night!"

"We have!" Scorpius joked, noticing for the first time the clock that hung on a far wall: half two in the morning. Zahra half smiled, also noticing the clock.

"Well," she said, rising, "I think… I, uh… better go to bed." She smiled again. Scorpius got to his feet too.

"Perhaps I could escort you?" he found himself saying – a little too eagerly. "Uhm, to your common room, obviously…" Zahra laughed.

"Why not?"

She took his arm and they left the great hall, Scorpius nodding to Eric (who winked back) on the way out. They turned left and began walking down the corridor, chatting.

Scorpius found himself just staring at her. They way she laughed; smiled, the way her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkled. She was just utterly beautiful. The corridor they were in was deserted: everyone was either still dancing or in bed.

Zahra was talking about a one of Rosalyn's recent mishaps during potions, her voice warm and beautifully smooth; using slender arms, wrists and hands to illustrate the story. She laughed again

Scorpius could no longer contain himself.

Firmly but gently, he guided Zahra until her back was against the wall, placing his hands either side of her head. Not giving her any time to speak, he pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her.

_Stop! What are you doing?! _

He screwed his eyes shut tighter, expecting a slap to the face or a knee to the groin. Instead, he felt her hands move up into his hair as she kissed him back. Scorpius' heart beat even faster – he felt it would burst. Every emotional fibre in his body was screaming. His mind racing, Scorpius pulled away. Zahra looked him straight in the eye, mouth open slightly in shock and her hands still entwined in his hair.

"Scorp… I…"

"I –I'm… sorry… I shouldn't have..." Scorpius moved away, his face flushing a bright red.

"Scorp…you… liked me… all this time…?"

Scorpius nodded. Zahra moved forward off the wall, extending a hand; she reached up and cupped his cheek in her palm.

"I-I'll escort you to your common room now, if you'd like… um…" Scorpius swallowed, all too aware of Zahra's hand on his face.

"Thank you," Zahra leaned up and planted a lingering kiss on his lips, "I should like that very much."


	8. Chapter 8

**Boop! Chapter 8, enjoy!**

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Eric wasn't in the common room when Scorpius got back – obviously he was still in the Great Hall with Frederique. Scorpius sat heavily on his bed and loosened his tie, playing the night's events over in his brain. He felt his face flush as he remembered kissing Zahra and her lips brushing his as he left her at the Ravenclaw common room door.

He changed into his pyjamas and got into bed, despite the fact he felt completely unable to rest at all. Five minutes later, Eric wandered in, so Scorpius pretended to be asleep; slowing his breathing and trying to act peaceful.

"I know you're not asleep, Scorp."

Blushing, Scorpius sat up.

"I couldn't sleep." He admitted, "Have fun?" he asked casually, trying to lift conversation away from himself.

"Yeah, Frederique's a nice lass," Eric sat down on his bed and unclipped his bow tie. He lay onto his back and exhaled loudly before sitting back up with a huge grin plastered to his face.

"So. You and Zahra, eh?" He said pryingly, giving him a wink. "Spill the beans."

"There's nothing to spill." Scorpius replied evasively. Eric leaned forward still smiling.

"Aw c'mon. There is. I know there is. Spill!"

Scorpius said nothing. He clenched his jaw, embarrassed, and stared pointedly at the duvet. Eric let out an irritated sigh.

"Fine." Eric began taking his outer robe off.

"I… I kissed her."

"What?" Eric sounded genuinely surprised, the mocking tone gone from his voice.

"I just sort of… guided her… and then… just…" Scorpius began to explain everything, his brain feeling muddled with emotion. Eric listened while he got changed; only asking the odd question. Once Scorpius had finished, Eric smiled widely and said:

"Get in there!"

He then received a pillow to the face.

The next day was Saturday, leaving the students of all three schools time to catch up on sleep before challenge number two the next day.

Most of the morning had gone when Scorpius finally woke. He changed into a warm jumper and jeans, careful not to wake the rest of his dorm, and made his way down to the great hall for lunch. Upon arrival, he saw Zahra on a far table talking with Gavril Volkov. Zahra had put her hair up back into a bun and was looking at him with a sceptical expression. Volkov shook his head, frustrated and walked back to his friends. Scorpius made his way over, curious.

"What was that about?"

Zahra turned, her face breaking into a smile when she saw him, then her eyebrows sloped upwards and she pursed her lips slightly.

"He wanted to team up with me for the next challenge… he said he didn't like Dupont either and he wanted to help me."

"Are you going to?"

Zahra didn't say anything. Instead she put her head on his chest and wrapped her arms round his waist. Scorpius felt his heart start to flutter around in his ribcage like a bird. He put one arm around her back and the other round her shoulders.

"No." she said into his chest, "Only one of us can win, Scorp." She said with finality, looking up and resting her chin on his breastbone.

"Fair point." He said, flashing her a smile. They sat down and ate lunch; Volkov was soon forgotten.

But Volkov himself did not forget. He took another sullen bite of sandwich, watching as Zahra began nibbling on an apple, talking with that…boyfriend of hers. Gavril sighed and left the Great Hall, discarding the sandwich.

"Are you busy today? I wondered if you wanted to come with me to library… I just wanted to read up on some spells that might come in handy… you don't have to… I just wondered…" Zahra bit into her apple hurriedly, flushing slightly.

"No, it's fine," he said, smiling, "You should wear your hair down, you know." Scorpius reached out a hand to gently push back her fringe. Zahra blushed, tingeing her ears pink. She finished her apple and placed to core neatly on her plate.

"To the library?"

"To the library."

* * *

"Awh! This sounds pretty awesome, look!" Zahra pointed with her index finger at the spell information. Scorpius' reading however was interrupted by a nervous pat on his shoulder. He turned, recognising the tall Durmstrang student Dupont had danced with at the Yule Ball. Behind him was a younger student with thick black hair and dark brown eyes.

"Professor McGonagall summoned us." Said the older boy in a thick Russian accent, "We are to go to her office straight away… I am not sure why."

"Oh, right… I, uh, guess I'll see you later, Zahra." She mumbled a quick goodbye and kissed him lightly on the lips, before returning to her books. Scorpius thought he saw pain flash in her eyes, but dismissed the thought.

"I am Aleksandr, by the way." The older boy explained and the younger student mumbled an introduction of Sasha. Nothing else was said until they arrived at the foot of the hidden stairs leading to Professor McGonagall's study. The grand eagle slowly turned, revealing the steps; silently, they climbed them and entered the office. McGonagall's office door was open and she beckoned them in.

"Good afternoon, boys." Said McGonagall, "Now, before we get started, can I offer you a drink?" All three boys nodded an affirmative and three glasses of pumpkin juice were poured. McGonagall waited for them to sit down and take a sip before speaking again.

"Don't worry," she said, "You'll be fine. I really am sorry."

That what when Sasha keeled over backwards. His chair crashed against the floor and the glass he was holding smashed on the tiles. Aleksandr and Scorpius both put their glasses back on the desk as if they were burning hot.

"They're drugged," said Aleksandr thickly.

Scorpius could feel his brain starting to go foggy, the edges of his vision tinged grey. He heard a soft thud as Aleksandr went down. McGonagall looked at him sadly and just before the grey closed in, Scorpius saw a flash of sickly violet.

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** Don't forget to review! n_~**


	9. Chapter 9

Scorpius woke to the apologetic smile of Julius Goldman in his face.

"Terribly sorry, Master Malfoy, we had to sedate you for the binding charm to work, I'm afraid."

Scorpius blinked, trying to make sense of where he was. He was stood, leaning on a sturdy pole with his hands behind his back; the rope tied round his wrists felt a little loose, but Scorpius knew that he wouldn't be able to get his hands free without the correct spell.

"I would have spoken to you earlier, but you were the last to wake and we're out of time, old chap, everything will be explained in just a moment – don't go anywhere!" Goldman laughed at his joke and moved away. Scorpius saw he was wearing a vile ochre yellow coloured velvet suit. He shuddered. To his right were Aleksandr and Sasha, looking equally confused tied to their own posts.

The arena had changed. It was still in its hexagonal shape, but the sand and rocks were gone, replaced with a very ordinary looking stone floor painted with a huge version of the Triwizard Cup, surrounded by a painted soft golden glow.

The spectators began filing in; Scorpius spotted Eric with Frederique. Eric stared, eyebrows disappearing into his hairline. Scorpius gave a small shrug and shook his head. Goldman stepped up to his balcony in the stands on the opposite side of the arena from Scorpius. It took him several goes to gain silence from the students – all of whom were confused and slightly alarmed by the three boys' position in the arena.

"Welcome to the second task of the Triwizard Tournament! Now, you may be wondering what three of your classmates are doing in my arena… these, my friends, are three very brave souls indeed. Men who put faith in others. They have volunteered themselves to the arena to be freed by their champion!"

Volunteered? That was a lie. Scorpius caught Aleksandr's eye – Aleksandr arched his right eyebrow, jaw clenched.

"Play nicely," warned Goldman, giving a wink, "the first champion to their companion wins this round!"

The heavy wooden doors were thrown open, and game began. Zahra and Volkov didn't move at first, assessing their surroundings warily. Dupont, noticing her 'volunteer' ran straight for him, fist closed tightly around her wand. A loud rumbling sound caused her stop and a selection of blocks in the arena floor began to rise, some lowered and some did not move at all. Zahra was now high above the arena floor looking worried, Volkov was to her right but Scorpius had lost sight of Dupont. Determination creasing her brow, Zahra made a running leap to the nearest block. She missed it by a fraction, but was just able to scramble to safety. She stopped to cast a charm, realising she'd need an extra boost – but she didn't notice Volkov gliding silently behind her. He nudged her playfully and grinned before running off through the air.

"Air-walk charm!" Goldman was saying, sounding impressed. Zahra had finished her spell and leapt to the next block effortlessly. The floor began to move again, trapping Volkov momentarily and Dupont now had the high ground. Zahra had not moved. She waited for the tremors to stop before carrying on – all too aware of Dupont a few yards behind her. Zahra jumped down to a lower section of floor, landing heavily. Her spell was wearing off. She got down to ground level and began running, casting another spell as she did so. Scorpius watched as her outline started to blur and she became almost invisible.

"A cloaking spell, interesting!" came Goldman's voice once more. The arena began to re-arrange itself again, freeing Volkov and masking Zahra from the spectators. Volkov dashed off, his confidence beginning to fade. Zahra kept on running, she had covered about half of the arena now and Scorpius could see she was tiring.

Blocked from the view of the spectators, Dupont leapt down from the higher ground in front of Zahra. Her outline froze in an attempt to hide from Celine's gaze – but Dupont had already seen her. She turned very suddenly and lashed out at Zahra in a nasty kick. It hit her in the gut and she went down, her cloaking spell instantly cutting out. Celine waited until Zahra had scrambled to her feet and backed off, still bent over double. They exchanged a few sentences as they circled one another – Zahra now with her back to Scorpius. Zahra leapt up, sent a white flash from the end of her wand into Celine's face and ran. Dupont staggered, momentarily stunned before running after her, raising her wand.

A stream of yellow light flew from the tip of her wand and hit Zahra squarely in the back. Her eyes widened as she was propelled a few yards before falling heavily and hitting her head on a block of floor that was now rising as the arena once more rearranged itself. She fell to the floor and didn't get up. Dupont ran past her, smiling wickedly.

"Looks like our Girl of Steel is down!" exclaimed Goldman. Zahra still hadn't stirred. Scorpius felt panic beginning to flutter around in the pit of his stomach.

"Get up, Zahra!" he could hear himself screaming as he struggled against the bonds. "Zahra!"

Nothing.

"Zahra! Come on, Zahra, please!"

Miraculously, Zahra appeared to have heard him. Agonisingly slowly, she began to get up, pain marring her features and began to run. Celine had got to Aleksandr and was untying him. Once freed, he threw his arms around Dupont and hugged her, nearly lifting her off her feet.

"Victory for Beauxbatons!" cried Goldman, "How about some encouragement?"

Egged on by his peers, Volkov reached Sasha. Seeing them side by side, Scorpius realised they must be brothers. Only seconds later came Zahra, also supported by the Hogwarts students. She cut the ropes with a burning hex.

"Zahra…" Scorpius hugged her close.

"I'm sorry… I had to… had to get to you… are you… you alright…" she could barely choke the words out in between desperate gasps for oxygen.

"Yes… Celine… she-"

"I know you didn't…. didn't volunteer…" she interrupted, leaning back so she could see his face, but her eyes seemed glassy, like they couldn't focus properly, "Goldman drugged you… Professor…. Professor Longbottom told me… Goldman made him… him make… a drug… I'm sorry… I…I…should've told…told…"

"Shh… you're weak… you need rest." Zahra tried to protest, but Scorpius stopped her with a gentle kiss. He pulled away in time for her give him a frail smile before going limp, her eyes closing.

"Zahra?" Scorpius shook her lightly, "Zahra!" carefully he hooked one arm under her knees, the other supporting her head and shoulder and lifted. He saw Mademoiselle Pomfrey running over and he began walking quickly to meet her; his eyes never left Zahra's face. He met Pomfrey in the centre of the arena.

"She- she just-"

"I know." Said Pomfrey, "Keep hold of her…" she opened Zahra's eyelids and checked her vital signs before beckoning to another wizard.

"Get her to the infirmary." The wizard firmly but gently plucked Zahra out of Scorpius' grasp.

"No… I"

"Please don't interfere, my boy." Said Pomfrey, blocking Scorpius' path. He watched as the wizard took Zahra out of the arena.

"Please, let me see her at least… accompany her… I-"

"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do." She offered him a sad smile and left.

Scorpius felt his heart start to sink down through his ribcage as though it was lead. It settled in the pit of stomach and stayed there as heat rose up and prickled the backs of his eyes. Scorpius bit the heat down, determined not to cry. A hand patted his shoulder and he turned, ready to fight – but it was only Eric.

"She'll be fine, mate… Pomfrey and her team'll have her sorted in no time, accidents happen…"

"It wasn't an accident." Scorpius snapped. "Dupont attacked her – when the floor was blocking your view."

"But-"

"She did, Eric, I saw her!" Scorpius shouted, his voice echoing round the empty arena walls, "And I'll get that bitch…" he muttered, "I'll get her if it's the last thing I do…"

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**Plot twist! Don't forget to review! n_n**


	10. Chapter 10

It was over a week before they let Scorpius into the infirmary. During that period of time, the Slytherin House lost so many points even Eric was starting to get irritated.

"Look… just try and focus, okay, mate?"

Scorpius intertwined his fingers nervously around the single rose he had brought with him as Mademoiselle Pomfrey led him through the ward.

"She's suffering from severe concussion… just… be gentle with her." Scorpius nodded and Pomfrey left him at Zahra's bedside, closing the curtains around them. There were two bunches of flowers on the table at the foot of the bed.

"Hey," he murmured, sitting down on a chair next to her. Zahra turned her head to look at him.

"Oh, hello," she said, "It's you… Scorpius, wasn't it?"

A horrible feeling began to grown in the pit of his stomach: _She's forgotten you._ Pushing the feeling away, he smiled.

"Yeah, that's me. I brought you… um, a rose… I thought you might like roses so…"

Zahra smiled and held out a hand to receive the flower. Scorpius couldn't help but think how fragile she looked.

"Thank you," she said, bringing the flower to her nose. She closed her eyes as she breathed in its scent. "It's lovely." She gave it to Scorpius so he could put in the empty vase on another small table by the bed.

"How're… how're you feeling?" Scorpius asked.

"Alright… the nurse said I'd be out in a few days… It was nice of you to volunteer like that; it's nice you trust me, even though we don't really know each other."

Conversation died a little.

"Roslyn and Celine came to see me."

Scorpius felt a stab of hate at Dupont's name, but tried not to show it.

"Really?"

"Yeah, this morning. Celine brought me flowers, said she hoped I got better soon; so did Rosalyn. I felt so silly, I mean I tripped up and now I've got…why are your eyes so sad?" she asked suddenly, staring at Scorpius.

"I'm sorry?" he said, faltering.

"Your eyes… they look sad… you face is happy but your eyes aren't. What's wrong?"

"Oh… I-I…." Scorpius stopped. He knew there was once thing he had to ask. To determine things once and for all.

"I was thinking about someone I met at the Yule Ball she, um, she hurt herself in Herbology yesterday, I thought I'd come see you while I was here… did you enjoy it, the Yule Ball?"

Zahra's brow creased with intense concentration.

"I don't…" she looked confused, "I didn't go… no, no I didn't… I don't remember why, though."

"Oh." Said Scorpius as what little hope he had left shattered, "H-how unfortunate… I'm afraid, I have to go now," he told her, trying quickly to think of an excuse, "I'll be late for, uh, potions."

"Of course, I hope your friend gets better." Said Zahra with a kind smile.

"Thanks, so do I…"

* * *

Eric was waiting for Scorpius in the corridor outside. He looked up as Scorpius walked past him, head bent and fists curled.

"Scorp? Hey, wait!" he jogged after him, putting a hand on Scorpius' arm to slow him down. Scorpius whirled.

"She doesn't remember, Eric!" he said, voice cracking. "She thinks Dupont is her _friend_. She doesn't remember being attacked or…" he stopped and took a deep, shaky breath, "Or me, Eric. She doesn't remember the Ball or anything…"

It was obvious that Scorpius was close to tears – his entire body was shaking in the effort to try and push his emotions down. Eric patted his arm.

"Let's get you back to the Common Room, 'kay?" They both froze as Rosalyn turned the corner followed by Celine Dupont.

"I'm sorry we both thought you were a complete jerk to begin with." Rosalyn was saying, stopping when she saw Eric and Scorpius.

"Don't…" muttered Eric into Scorpius' ear, "Just walk out…"

"Dupont." Scorpius said icily, ignoring Eric's warning, "What a surprise." Celine smiled.

"Yes, it is quite unfortunate about your friend." She replied tightly. "But accidents do happen, do they not?"

"I think we both know it wasn't an accident, Dupont." Scorpius spat back. Eric stiffened.

"Scorpius, stop it! Move on…" he hissed. Rosalyn looked confused.

"Scorpius, it wasn't Celine's fault… I can understand why you're upset but-"

"Did you see Zahra trip?"Scorpius interrupted, staring at Rosalyn.

"…No."

"In fact, did you see anything at all, apart from Zahra hitting the floor?"

"…No."

"Well, then," Scorpius continued evenly, turning his gaze back to Dupont, "With all due respect, I don't think that gives you any room to talk." He stepped forward, now nose to nose with Celine.

"I'd watch my step if I were you. My father _will_ hear about this." He told her in a voice filled with venom. "If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to." With that he gave a final polite nod to Rosalyn and swept past Celine with contempt he did not bother to conceal.

* * *

Scorpius was in the Common Room when Eric finally managed to catch up. He was sat by the fire wrapped in a thin blanket and had his portable writing set resting on his lap. Eric sat down gingerly in front of him, wringing his hands nervously. Anyone could see how shaken up Scorpius was – his quill was quivering as he wrote, causing ink droplets to splatter over the parchment. Knowing that his efforts to write were futile, Scorpius cast to quill aside and took the writing set off his lap.

"Hey, Eric." He said morosely, bringing his knees to his chest and embracing them. "I should've listened to you," he sighed, "I can tell Dad but there's no point." He winced and buried his head in his knees. "I'm such an idiot. Rosalyn will tell Zahra what a dick I've been… it'll never be the same. I've screwed up, Eric, I've screwed up big-time."

Eric didn't say anything, so Scorpius kept his head where it was, buried in the darkness. His heart was barely existent, melted down in a sad puddle at the bottom of his ribcage and Scorpius felt ill with the weight of intense sorrow. He didn't want to move. He didn't want to do anything at all. What he had built up with Zahra, what had taken him six years to mould and shape; their entire relationship had been crushed by one spell cast by Celine Dupont. He looked up at Eric, who was staring at the floor.

"You love Zahra?" Eric asked.

"Yes."

"More than anything?"

"Yes."

"Then she'll remember." Said Eric finally. There was such certainty in his voice that Scorpius felt inclined to agree.

"Thanks, Eric." Scorpius said, trying for a smile. There was a pause.

"Dear God," Eric cried, "I feel like a bloody agony aunt."

Despite his distress, Scorpius had to laugh.


	11. Chapter 11

True to her word, Zahra was released from the infirmary three days later. Rosalyn had obviously told her about her meeting with Scorpius because Zahra seemed wary of him and used slightly irritated tones during those rare occasions when they spoke. She didn't go into class very often: Mademoiselle Pomfrey said she needed 'recuperation time' to get to grips with Hogwarts castle before going into all her lessons. Scorpius was glad Zahra was getting better but he knew things wouldn't really be the same. Eric spent a lot of time with Frederique which Scorpius didn't mind much – he found most of the time he preferred being alone.

One thing Scorpius did not like was Volkov.

Every time he saw Zahra he was there, as were Dupont and Rosalyn. Scorpius hated how close Volkov would get – often wrapping his arm around her shoulder and giving her a friendly squeeze. It made him feel uncomfortable. No, not uncomfortable…

Jealous.

He tried to ignore the feeling, but it kept surfacing in the back of his mind. He had to move on, he told himself, and if she liked Volkov, then so be it.

It was a chilly January afternoon and Scorpius was taking a walk alone in the grounds. He often did this in his free time; it helped him to think. Collect his thoughts. He shoved his hands deeper into his coat pockets and let out a huge sigh. Snowy white vapour erupted from his mouth and spiralled upward before disappearing into the air. He walked to an outcrop that looked out over the Groundskeepers' hut and the edge of the Forbidden Forest. Just then the door of the hut opened and a gaggle of Gryffindor students poured out. He recognised the Potter and Weasley children. Their parents and his hadn't got on, so he didn't talk to them much but when he did they were always polite. In fact, they had never fought at all, despite what their fathers had done in the past. The Groundskeeper waved goodbye before closing the door. He watched as the students made their way up the incline. They smiled as they walked past, which he returned and then he was left alone again.

A few minutes later Scorpius heard voices. Voices he knew all too well.

"That's… Hagrid's hut and the… the Forbidden Forest…" Zahra's voice drifted over.

"Yep! Now which way should we go now?" Rosalyn's voice answered.

"That… way. To the right."

"Well done!"

Dupont, Volkov, Rosalyn and Zahra rounded the corner. Scorpius had nowhere to hide, so he stared straight ahead and tried not to attract any attention. He could see Volkov and Zahra out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh," he heard Volkov say, "Your friend is here too." Scorpius couldn't ignore them any longer. He turned, trying to look confident.

"Hello." He said.

"He's not my… friend… as such… more… a colleague." Zahra said, staring pointedly at Scorpius shoes.

"Yes." Scorpius agreed. Naturally, Dupont had to make a comment.

"Well surely," she said innocently, "There must be more to it than that. He did volunteer for the second task. He must trust you a lot." Her hazel eyes bored into Scorpius'.

"Of course I trust Zahra. She is a Ravenclaw after all." Dupont didn't say anything, but raised her eyebrows sceptically.

"Well," said Rosalyn sensing the tension that was mounting, "We better be going." Scorpius nodded.

"Goodbye, then." He turned back and looked out over the outcrop again. Nobody else moved. In his peripheral vision, he saw Rosalyn gingerly begin to move past, turning back to make sure everyone else was following. Dupont went next and then Zahra and Volkov, who had one arm wrapped around her again. Scorpius felt his insides knot up with envy. He pushed his hands deeper into his pockets, hunching his shoulders against the cold. Footsteps moved away.

"I- I want to be on my own for a bit." He heard Zahra say. Scorpius turned his head slightly, looking at the scene in the corner of his eye.

"You are cold," Volkov told her pulling her into a hug and rubbing her arms to try and bring back some warmth. "You are not thinking straight." Zahra gently pushed back.

"I'll be fine. I won't be a minute; I'll meet you in the Great Hall."

"You think you will remember, Zahra?" Volkov asked, reluctantly releasing her from the hug.

"Yeah, I think I can."

Scorpius began to move in the opposite direction, determined not to be drawn in. It was nothing to do with him anymore and there was nothing he could do. He strode on quickly, listening to the frosted grass crunching underneath his shoes. A solitary voice called:

"Scorpius?"

He stopped, turned and waited. Zahra jogged up to meet him.

"I'm sorry… it's just… I remember now… you helped me… a while ago… with the… the cryptic clue about the constellation."

"Yes. That was me." He was glad she remembered a bit about him, even if it wasn't much.

"I never really thanked you for it so, uh, thanks."

"No problem." Scorpius turned away again and began to walk, certain his feelings were going to betray him in some way.

"Your friend," she called after him, "Did she get better?"

"Um… sort of, she, uh, hurt her, um, her hand quite badly… Mademoiselle Pomfrey says it won't really be the same again."

"Oh. I'm…I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be," Scorpius told her, his back still turned, "Accidents happen, I guess."

"Yes… Bye, Scorpius, thanks again." Scorpius listened as her footsteps died away. He strolled on sullenly, deep in thought. Feeling something wet fall on his face, Scorpius reached up a hand to his cheek but deep down he knew what they were anyway: tears. He was crying. Disgusted, he wiped the tears away, flicking the droplets off the ends of his fingers.

Exhaling an angry cloud of white vapour, Scorpius walked on into the cold.

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**D: So many feels. Please review! n_n**


	12. Chapter 12

Four days later, Scorpius found himself in the front row of the stands once again.

The arena had changed, if you could call it an arena at all. The hexagonal shape had gone replaced with one long strip of seating facing three empty stone door frames.

`Scorpius shifted nervously. Eric came in with Frederique and sat down heavily next to him.

"Last task," he said, "You think she's gonna win?"

Scorpius shrugged.

"There's no telling."

Goldman entered followed by Dupont, Volkov and Zahra. Goldman whispered a few words to them and they proceeded to stand in front of a frame, their backs turned. Julius was dressed in much less offensive forest green robes which trailed on the ground as he made his way up to the podium.

"Students, the time has come! We have tested our champions in strength and brawn, but how will they fare when their very being is tested? We shall see in this final task!" he swept his wand round in large circle and the frames filled with a hazy glow.

"I have created a maze within these portals; the cup is hidden deep inside. There is no time limit: once the cup is found, the other portals will transport the other champions back to this reality. The first to find the cup and bring it back to this world is the Triwizard Champion!"

Excited applause rippled through the stands. The champions exchanged niceties: handshakes from Dupont; Volkov giving pats on the back, hugs and to Zahra, a wink.

"Beware, my friends, for the maze will change you. Let the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament _begin_!"

The crowd cheered and they were gone.

Scorpius was getting bored. Bored and anxious. The school band had been playing solidly for an hour in an attempt to kill some time. It was evident the spectators were tired of waiting. Even Goldman had lost his enthusiasm. Eric leaned over.

"Dear God, I think I'm going to die of boredom. Haven't they played 'I Put a Spell on You' about three times over now?" he nodded to the band where a pink-faced saxophone player from Hufflepuff was blasting out the solo. Scorpius nodded.

"I don't think Goldman really thought this through."

"Nah, he didn't… that maze must be huge if it's taking them this long to-"

Volkov leapt out through his doorframe and fell to the ground, the glittering cup held tightly in one hand. The Durmstrang students erupted into cheers, their roars echoing in Scorpius' ears. Zahra and Dupont came hurtling out of their frames and all three structures crumbled to dust.

Dupont threw her wand aside viscously, running her hands through her hair. Zahra was still laid on the floor, breathing heavily. Volkov, as of yet, had not moved from him position on the ground. He knelt staring at the floor, his knuckles unnaturally prominent as he clutched the trophy.

"We have our champion!" Goldman roared, "A big hand for Gavril Volkov, winner of the Triwizard Tournament!"

Mademoiselle Pomfrey and her team now came in to check on the students. They managed to prise the cup from Volkov and get him up on his feet. He was an unhealthy shade of grey. Dupont appeared to be fine if very angry. She picked up her wand and wiped her eyes as she was comforted by two of her friends from Beauxbatons. Zahra was helped up into a sitting position and then into a standing one. She had a somewhat confused expression on her face as she clung to the medic's arm from support.

Mademoiselle Pomfrey's paramedics began to lead all three away from the arena. Zahra seemed reluctant to go, struggling against the medic as she scanned the faces of the spectators. Eventually she locked eyes with Scorpius and he felt a small shiver go down his spine as she shouted three words:

"I remember you!"

Scorpius stood and before he knew it, he was pushing past students and running across the arena. Zahra broke free from the arm holding her back and ran to meet him.

Scorpius spread his arms and wrapped her in hug which Zahra returned, entwining her arms around his neck.

"Omigod." She said into his chest, "You're here, you're here… you're here…" her arms wrapped tighter around him. "Dupont! I can't believe… I… she cheated! She… attacked me… oh my God…"

Goldman, momentarily thrown by Zahra's outburst, now composed himself and read out the remaining places.

"Hey," Scorpius said with a grin, "At least you came second."

"Cheaters only cheat themselves, eh?" Zahra replied, returning the smile. They were all called up to the the podium by Goldman to 'receive their reward'. Colour had now returned to Gavril's face and he held the cup above his head with a grin as the applause thundered over him. He put the cup down and grabbed Dupont and Zahra by the wrists, lifting their arms way above their head. Goldman handed out medals to the girls, Dupont allowing herself a smile as she shook his hand. Zahra let out a laugh and smiled brightly at Scorpius as he clapped enthusiastically.

Things were taking a turn for the better.


	13. Chapter 13

The courtyard was filled with students – Beauxbatons, Durmstrangs and Hogwarts alike.

"It was good to meet you – you were a worthy opponent." Volkov held out a scrap of parchment, "Write to me?"

"Of course. Good luck, Gavril, see you round." Zahra gave him a big smile and shook his hand. He left to join his fellow students just as Scorpius caught up.

"All done?"

"Yeah, you?"

"Yep." Scorpius caught Volkov's eye just before he left, raising a hand. Gavril returned the gesture and was gone.

"How're you feeling?" Scorpius asked, encircling her shoulders with one arm. Zahra rubbed her forehead.

"Better. It's just… that maze… I still have trouble getting my head round it."

"You still think it was some sort of mind control?"

"Something like that. To make us see monsters and things that weren't really there. It also explains why I regained my memories… We could've still been in Hogwarts for all we knew."

A flock of Beauxbatons went past, Celine in their centre. She tossed her hair over one shoulder, nose high in the air and moved over toward Zahra.

"God help us," she muttered before Dupont came into ear shot. Dupont swallowed and held out some parchment, all haughtiness gone.

"I thought we could write," she said, "And I put in the address for _Magicien _too, if you ever wanted to write in or, um, a photo-shoot or something..."

Zahra graciously accepted the addresses with a smile.

"A photo-shoot? Oh good God no, you don't have to do anything like that. Besides cameras and I… we don't mix." She said with a laugh.

Celine allowed herself a smile, but it soon faded.

"I just… I wanted to apologise. Really."

"It's fine, Celine hon-"

"No, I did some awful things." She looked at Scorpius. "To both of you."

Zahra seemed stunned for a moment before regaining her composure.

"If I'm feeling particularly photogenic," Zahra said with a reassuring smile, "I'll drop you an owl."

Dupont looked relived.

"Merci, Zahra and au revoir."

Celine joined her friends and left with another smile and a wave.

"I knew she wasn't all that bad," Zahra said, giving Scorpius a knowing grin. He returned the grin with a cheeky peck on the nose.

"And a photo-shoot for _Magicien_? Wow, Zahra, you should take that up." Scorpius said, brushing some stray hairs from Zahra's forehead. She blushed and looked away.

"I think I'll leave the modelling to Dupont, thank you."

Scorpius took her chin in his palm and turned her head to face him.

"Oh, so you're saving all your beauty for my eyes only then? That's very gracious of you."

Zahra pushed his hand away.

"Don't be so full of yourself, Malfoy," she said with mock anger before leaning up to kiss him. Scorpius returned the kiss, wrapping a protective arm around her waist.

In that moment, with the sun unblemished by clouds and the elated atmosphere around them, Scorpius felt he was the happiest man in the world.

_FIN_

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**(13 chapters.. is that unlucky? :L) Thanks very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed! ~SA n_n **


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